Grade 1-5: Samantha

Happy Teacher Interview Thursday!

Today I have Samantha who teaches Special Education for grades 1-5 in Maryland. She has been teaching for 8 years and shares her teaching journey through her Instagram: polkadotsandplanning. She has an amazing and kind outlook on how to help our students and ensure all of our actions are student centered. Here is her interview:

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I always wanted to be a teacher.  I had a chalkboard in my playroom and would play school with my cousin all the time when I was little.  I'd set up lessons for stuffed animals and grade fake papers.  I also always loved kids.  I helped out as much as I could with my younger cousins at family functions and babysat all through highschool and college.  I also worked at a daycare throughout college.  However, I also was very interested in acting.  I grew up doing plays and I love to be on stage, so for a while when I was younger my answer to this question would be a teacher and an actress!!  But I do feel like I use my acting skills a good bit when teaching to keep the kids engaged and excited about learning!! 

2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up ?

I think and reflect SO much...so while studying to be a teacher in college I thought a lot about the experiences I had as a student.  One bad experience that sticks out with me is from my 4th grade math class.  I was having such a hard time with the concepts and my grades were not the best.  I was scared to speak up and ask for help, so I just kept falling more behind.  After we took a chapter test my teacher put all of our names and grades on the projector. I was MORTIFIED.  Everyone saw that I got a terrible grade (I think it was around a 58%).  I would get nervous every time I went to that class for the rest of the year, and I second guessed myself as a math student for a really long time.  Fast forward to 6th grade though....I had an amazing, patient and motivating teacher who helped me enjoy math.  She helped me understand how to use my mistakes to allow me to learn and better understand things.  I still talk to her to this day and I admire her so much! This teacher is a huge part of why I love teaching math and why I am motivated to make sure no other student feels like I did back in elementary school math.  

3. How long have you been teaching, what state do you teach in, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there?

I am in my ninth year of teaching and I teach in Maryland.  I taught for six years in a county public school and since then I have been at a private school for students with dyslexia.  When I was in the county I taught all subjects of third grade.  I was hired after I graduated from college with my degree in Elementary/Special Education.  While I was in my third year of teaching (I think...it all starts to blend together!) I started pursuing my masters in Special Education.  I taught during the day and took 2 - 3 classes a semester at night.  Then I took about four classes in the summer while I babysat so I could finish my program in three years.  Since I knew eventually I wanted to focus more specifically on special education I looked at other options for helping kids with dyslexia.  My search led me to an interview at the school where I am now and I feel so lucky to work here!! 

4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom and why?

This is a hard one!  One item I do use a ton is post it notes. I think they would be my go-to because there are so many different things I can do with them.  I'll have students add post it notes to anchor charts so they are part of creating them and their ideas are posted.  I also have students use post it notes throughout readings to leave "think-marks," to comment, ask questions, and react to text.  When working on segmenting, blending, and phoneme manipulation a quick and easy activity is to write the letters on post it notes so they kids can manipulate the sounds as they say them.  Super simple tool, but the list goes on and on! 

5. Do you have an accommodation you would recommend for teachers to help reach the needs of all students?

I wouldn't say that I think there is one accommodation that would be for all students, but I do think as a teacher it is imperative that you understand your instruction needs to be differentiated and that there is no one size fits all.  What I do feel strongly about when it comes to accomodations is that they should really be thought about prior to adding them to an IEP or a plan.  There are times I felt as though some accommodations were being put on a student's IEP, but the execution of that accomodation was not really discussed.

For example, graphic organizers can be a great accommodation for some students.  However, if this is just put on their plan and not discussed clearly, it may mean a blank organizer in one class, but then a cloze passage on a graphic organizer in another class. It's also so important that these accommodations are made clear to the student and they understand how to use them.  For example, a student using an audio book may need explicit instruction on how to follow along while using the audio, or how to speed up/slow down, etc. My last rambling about accomodations is that some students really benefit from and/or need accommodations in special areas, as well as core content classes.  Overall, I think understanding why the accommodation is being put in place, and communicating how it is going to be implemented is a huge piece of planning . 

6. I see that your page says dyslexia advocate, why dyslexia and what is something you wish every teacher knew about it?

Dyslexia is so important to me because I grew up watching my brother's struggle.  He is dyslexic and it took a ton of advocating from my parents to get him initially tested.  They ended up having him tested privately because the school system didn't want to test him while he was still in kindergarten.  After his diagnosis he struggled to learn how to read as the "whole language" approach was being used in the county at this time.  My parents went to tons of IEP meetings, asked for specialized instruction, but my brother was still left falling behind.  When it was time for middle school my parents decided to switch to a private school.  This school accepted my brother, however his reading was so poor that in order for him to attend they were requiring him to have a teacher at the school tutor him in phonics the entire summer before sixth grade.  He ended up getting through middle and high school, but not without his share of negative experiences.  One teacher actually told him in front of the whole class, "that squirrel outside has more intelligence in his tiny brain than you do."  I saw how teachers' had a direct impact on his learning and self esteem.  When I went into teaching I knew I wanted to also get my degree in Special Education because I wanted to do my part to help students like my brother....and also to help parents' of kids with learning differences.  

   I want all teachers to know that dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence and we need to make sure our students with dyslexia develop their strengths and gain confidence in their abilities.  

7. Any advice for a new teacher you wish you had known?

I feel like your first year is always hectic and overwhelming....but I think I would have benefitted from reminding myself that sometimes less is more.  This saying could apply to a couple of things in my mind.....Sometimes less work after school meant more time for me to relax and do things for me...which we all know is huge for mental health!  This also applies to less teacher talking!  More time for students to collaborate and expand on their ideas and the importance of wait time.  Less is more as in keeping instructions short and explicit.  Using less items on pages and in the classroom.  Some of my students are very easily visually overwhelmed, so less is more in the sense that it is important to step back and evaluate worksheets, wall space, etc. 

8. What is your district's plan for this year?

We started distance learning for the first two weeks of school and then students were brought back into the building in small groups.  At this point, all students are back in person four days a week (with a handful who have opted to continue with virtual learning).  There were tons of changes made to our building, schedule and routines to make sure everyone is safe! 

9. A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since this Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it?

It has made me think about the students who aren't able to be in school for various reasons.  Students who are in home and hospital or dealing with anxiety may now have more ways of engaging in meaningful and appropriate instruction.  Since we have become more familiar with video conferencing in our classrooms, I think it may be something to consider to help incorporate those students into other social aspects of school such as morning meetings or discussions that they would otherwise missed out on.  

10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I still see myself working with students with dyslexia.  I'd like to continue to grow as a teacher and learn as much as possible about effective strategies to help learners with all needs.  I'm also thinking that maybe in ten years I'll have a family of my own with my husband....but first, we've got some traveling to do during my spring breaks and summers!  

Thanks so much for the interview Samantha!

Happy Teaching :)